Ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases are those which affect human health seriously. Its incidence shows a trend of increasing gradually. When a cerebral ischemia occurs, there is rapid appearance of energy metabolic obstruction for brain tissue cells, thereby causing release of excitatory neurotransmitter by neurotermini, which is mainly glumatic acid. Then, NMDA and non-NMDA acceptors are activated, causing a series of pathological changes which lead to cerebral injury and infarction. The fact that acceptors are activated can promote Ca2+ internal flow in large amount, while Ca2+ overload in cells is a key factor and common channel making cerebrum die. When blood supply is resumed in ischemic cerebral tissues, the reperfusion injury can happen. This kind of cerebral injury, resulted after ischemic cerebral tissue is reperfused, is another way of forming cerebral infarction, and it is generally related with increase of Ca2+ internal flow and overload. The fact of Ca2+ overload, large amount of Na+ internal flow, and oxygen radicals increase in cells can also cause apoptosis of neurocytes, which is an important form for ischemic cerebral cell necrosis, and is a mechanism of forming cerebral infarction.
At present, there is still no ideal drug for treatment of acute ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases (acute ischemic cerebral apoplexy, and acute cerebral infarction). Aiming at the above-mentioned mechanism of morbidity, the usually used method is application of thrombolytics (such as t-PA, etc.) or fibrinolytic drugs (such as snake venom plasmin and ancrode, etc) at early or very early stage of illness. Thrombolysis can resume blood supply to ischemic area of cerebral tissue. However, along with the resuming of blood supply to ischemic areas, it is inevitable to have cerebral cell ischemic/reperfusion injuries. The effect of treatment is still to be evaluated. In addition, brain protection medicine is clinically used to block different mechanisms of cell necrosis after ischemia, and to lengthen survival ability of cells. It can also be used for prevention for patients in critical condition and for recovery of neuronal functions at late stage so as to achieve goals of treatment. This filed is a hot one for current research. At present, available brain protection drugs are as follows. 1) Ca2+ channel antagonist: This kind of drugs achieve goals of treatment by means of obstructing electric voltage dependant Ca2+ channel, suppressing cell Ca2+ internal flow, and relieving Ca2+ overload in cells so as to achieve goals of treatment. Clinically applied drugs are Nimodipine, and Flunarizine. But for acute ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases, Ca2+ overload, that causes cerebral tissue injuries, is mainly related with Ca2+ channel controlled by acceptors. So, effect of treatment with this kind of blocking electric voltage dependent Ca2+ antagonist drugs are still to be proved. 2) Drugs, stabilizing cell membrane: citicoline, the cure effect of which is to be proved. As to other brain protection drugs, like glutamic antagonist, Na+ channel antagonist, γ-amino-butyric acid reinforcing agent, etc, although there is certain theoretical basis, their cure effects have not been proved with clinical research.
Ginseng and pseudo-ginseng are precious Chinese traditional medicine. They are used to cure diseases related to “blood stasis diseases”, such as coronary heart diseases, migraine, etc. Good cure effects are achieved. They are used as medicine to improve blood circulation and eliminate stasis. But there was not much research on effective ingredients curing acute ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases, and there was no way to understand the mechanism of their curing “blood stasis diseases”.
An object of the invention is to overcome the disadvantage that currently there is no drug to cure acute ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases with good cure effects and little toxic side effects, and provide a drug, which can cure acute ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases with good cure effects and little poisonous side-effects at the same time.
Another object of the invention is to provide a compound extracted from ginseng and pseudo-ginseng as well as a method for extracting the compound. The compound shall have effects in terms of anti-cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, and curing ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a pharmaceutical composition for treatment of ischemic cerebral-vascular diseases, wherein the composition contains the above mentioned compound.